According to the encyclopedia, the Ural Mountains are a system that divides the East European and West Siberian plains.Its length exceeds 2,000 kilometers, and according to some, it is even more than 2500 km (considering Mugodzhary ranges in the south and Pai-Khoi in the north).The width of the mountain range is 40-200 km.
General characteristics
Ural Mountains are among the most ancient on the planet.That is why they are lower than the Andes or Tibet.Age Urals has more than 600 million years.During this rather long period under the influence of rain, wind and landslides ridges had essentially destroyed.Geographical location of the Urals is very specific as to the political and economic points of view.But more on that below.The area is very rich in minerals, are found deposits of copper, titanium, magnesium, oil, coal, bauxite, and others. In total, there are about sixty scholars critical of ores and minerals.
History of discovery
According to the official history, the Ural mountains were discovered in ancient times.At the same time, scientists refer to the written records of them in the Greek text.They speak of the mountains Rhipaean (or Riphaeus) Imaus and Hyperborean.Today it is impossible to determine what part of the Urals scientists say Rome and ancient Greece, because of their narrative richly infused with different tales, legends, and even outright fables.They themselves have never been to these places, but heard about them from third mouth.However, if you believe the legend of the peoples living in the Urals, people have occupied this territory long before the rise of ancient Greece.Later Arab sources tell about the country Yugra, where the people of the Jura.Also refer to the Urals scientists describe such countries as Bulgaria, Visa, Yajuji, Majuji and others. In all Arab sources say that these areas are populated very savage people, so they are closed to travelers.In addition, they also mention the harsh climate of these countries, which can also be interpreted in favor of the Urals.However, despite these facts, the Arab traders flocked here like flies to honey, and this is due to the abundance of furs, as well as salt.These products can be called the main currency of the Middle Ages, they were quoted no less precious stones and gold.Russian sources claim that since the 12-13 centuries, these places were our pioneers, who gave the name of the local mountains Stone.But since the 17th century, with a light hand V. Tatishchev they are known as the Urals.
Europe or Asia
Now let's look at what are the particular geographical situation of the Urals.This ridge is the conventional boundary of Europe and Asia, two of the largest structures of the Earth's crust, as well as the largest freshwater pools.Geographical location of the Urals is truly unique, it can be compared to the Great Wall of China, but this wall erected by nature.She divided the people with opposing cultures: eastern and western mentalities.Although in this case it is difficult to determine which came first.Whether the "stone curtain" allowed to grow detached two cultures, protecting them from each other, or both of the people used to have a common history and philosophical values, and later of the European continent was subjected to outside influence, and fundamentally changed everything.All values turned upside down: the white was black and black - white ... In this case, this ancient Oriental peoples logs saved from the enemy for the time being.However, in a globalized world no stone barrier will not stop "democratic values" and liberalism imposed by European culture.As it says in the advertisement?If you do not use the powder "Tide," then we go to you? .. As you can see, the unique geographical location of the Urals is not only political and economic motives, but also cultural.
Cradle peoples
Ural region by the number of urban population as well as economic power is now considered second only to the Central.Geographical location of the Urals contributed to the fact that it became a natural frontier for many migratory waves.Thus, the Russian explorers, moving eastward, trying to look for low-lying areas with easy passes in the "Stone Belt" and the steppe peoples from the Asian part of the continent, seeking to west and faced with this the natural barrier that had to go around it from the south.And many of them even settled at the foot of the Ural Mountains.This explains the ethnic diversity of the region.Urals became the cradle for many nationalities.From here the whole of the Northern Eurasia dispersed peoples Ural-Yukagir language family.Today, there prevails the Russian population - 80%, but in the Ural region is also home to the Bashkirs, Tatars, Udmurt, Chuvash, Mordvinians, Mari, Komi-Perm and others.
look at the map
Economic-geographical situation of the UralsIt is unique, because it is at the edge of economic development (European) part of the continent, and the raw material (east).As a result, this region is entangled web of roads, railways, pipelines and power lines.These highways connect to the Ural, Volga Region, the Volga-Vyatka and West Siberian regions of our country, as well as Kazakhstan.It should be understood that the area of the Ural Mountains and the Ural region is not quite the same.Let us see what is to be understood.For example, mountain ranges and the polar regions of the Circumpolar not included in its composition, but not so on the piedmont plains Urals (this is the eastern edge of the East European Plain) and Trans (the western edge of the West Siberian Plain).
-Russian Urals Stampings
considered one of the oldest areas of the mining industry of the world.It is not surprising, because there are deposits of precious and semi-precious stones, aquamarine and alexandrite, garnets and sapphires, emeralds and rubies, topaz and rock crystal, malachite and jade.The eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains, which are represented by igneous rocks, very rich in various ore minerals.So, thanks to the open fields of non-ferrous and ferrous metals are pawned and development of industry in the Urals.Copper, iron, chromium, nickel, cobalt, aluminum, zinc ore, platinum, gold - this is not a complete list of natural larder concentrated in these mountains.It should be noted that geographically Ural ridge can be divided into five parts.Let us briefly examine each of them.
geographical position of the Polar Urals
This part of the mountain range is located in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the Komi Republic.The border regions of passes on the main watershed, which is separated pools Obi (in the east) and Pechora (in the west).Stock falls on the northern slopes of Baidarata Bay Arctic Ocean.The Polar Urals is dominated by mountain ranges with a height of 800-1200 m and the highest peaks (Mount Payer) reach 1,500 m. In fact, its origins, this area takes a low tops Konstantinov Stone (total 492 m).To the south the mountains increase significantly - up to 1350 m. The maximum height of the focus in the southern part (about 65 ° C. M.), There rises the top of the People (1894 m) - the highest point of the entire Urals.
With the same latitude of the Polar Urals significantly expanded - up to 125 km - and breaks down at 5-6 parallel ridges.In the south of this region far to the west in the direction of the Pechora moved Saber mountain (1425 m).
Polar Urals
begins the area of the array's saber, and ends with the apex Konzhakovsky Stone, whose height is 1569 meters. The whole plot extends strictly along the meridian of 59 ° C.m., which determines its geographical position.Ural Mountains consists mainly of two longitudinal ridges.East is a watershed, it is known as Poyasovoy Stone.West Ridge is known for biceps mountain Telpos-Out, or Stone winds.Its height is 1617 m. The alpine relief in the Polar Urals are not common, most of the peaks has a dome shape.
geographical position of the Middle Urals
This area is characterized by the lowest peaks.It lies between 59 and 56 degrees north latitude.Strictly trending mountain belt is replaced by south-east.Together with the South, Middle Urals forms a giant arc that faces the convex side towards the east and skirts Ufa Plateau (eastern projection of the Russian Platform).Its northern boundary considered Konzhakovsky Stone Mountain and Stone Kosvinsky and South - Mount Utah (Chelyabinsk region).On average, their height does not exceed 800 meters.From the west to the mountains of the Middle Urals adjacent hilly Urals.In this region climatically favorable for a man than Polar.It is longer and warmer summers.The average temperature in July in the foothill areas of 16-18 °.The foot of the mountains in the north covered the southern taiga, and in the south - forest-steppe.
Southern Urals
feature of this region is that here the mountain again grew significantly.For example, the top Iremel rises to 1582 m and a height Yamanatau - 1640 m. The geographical location of the South Urals include ridge starts from the top of Jurmala in the north and extends to the east-west portion of the Ural River in the south.Dividing Range Uraltau shifted eastward.Here dominate middle relief type.In the east of the axis moves in the Trans-Ural, a lower and a smooth plain.The climate is warmer than in the middle.Summer is dry with dry winds.The average temperature in July in the foothill areas of 20-22 °.
In conclusion
Specificity of the geographical location of the Urals is that it lies on the boundary of the Asian and European parts of our country.In addition, the features of the geological development of the ridge affected exceptional richness of its mineral resources.A large extent, high-altitude zone difference eastern and western parts of the Urals, the different directions of economic development in the region have identified a huge variety of economic and natural landscapes of the area.
